


connections

by cacowhistle



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Lots of Angst, Post-Hellbent, the lewvithur tag is honestly just an assumption idk how this fic is actually gonna go, there will be suffering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-03 17:25:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16330391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cacowhistle/pseuds/cacowhistle
Summary: Things slide into place quickly, as he falls.Lewis.This is some vengeance plot, an act of revenge against Arthur, and his mind flashes back to the cave.The numb feeling in his left arm, the way his vision started to go dark, the memories flood back in and refuse to leave - and Arthur watches Lewis fall again, watches his own arm thrust forward violently, eagerly, and he feels sick for a moment, and this fall seems incredibly long.Lewis thought it was intentional.





	1. arthur

Things slide into place quickly, as he falls.

Lewis.

This is some vengeance plot, an act of revenge against Arthur, and his mind flashes back to the cave.

The numb feeling in his left arm, the way his vision started to go dark, the memories flood back in and refuse to leave - and Arthur watches Lewis fall again, watches his own arm thrust forward violently, eagerly, and he feels sick for a moment, and this fall seems incredibly long.

Lewis thought it was intentional.

The wind is knocked out of Arthur as he hits the ground, and his back aches, but there's no stab of pain, no spike through his torso like he expected.

A nervous laugh bubbles out of him, as he realizes that he narrowly missed impalement, and he lays there, staring up at the ceiling of the cavern, though Lewis is no longer in sight.

_Lewis thought it was intentional._

The thought makes him feel sick, and he rolls onto his side before he can puke all over himself, and his prosthetic is moving again, thankfully. He pushes himself into a sitting position, trembling with nerves and adrenaline.

He's alive. Breathless, winded, remorseful, terrified, but alive.

He needs to get out of here. He needs to apologize. He needs to make sure Vivi and Mystery are okay. He needs a lot of things, he reasons, but for now, getting out of here and checking on Vivi and Mystery are the easiest options. He stands on shaky legs, his right hand moving on instinct to hold his prosthetic.

He wasn't trapped here, thankfully - the lower path didn't look that hard to get to, and Arthur slowly winds his way through the stalagmites, trying to ignore how each step he takes sends a jolt of pain up his spine. Vivi and Mystery could be in danger, there was time for injuries later.

He makes it to the entrance - or, what was supposed to be the entrance. A smooth wall of nothingness, inky darkness stands before him, and he runs his metal hand across it. There's no way to climb up.

… well.

He slams his metal fist into the wall, sending a jolt of pain into his shoulder - but the stone chips and breaks, and Arthur manages a tired grin.

His hand might get a little busted, but he can fix that. He needs to get to Vivi and Mystery.

By the time he reaches the top, his shoulder and his back ache, and fresh pain jolts through each with each step he takes, but he's done a good job of blocking it out so far, so that's going to continue.

He breathes out a sigh of relief as he takes in the scene - Vivi is okay, sitting against the van with her metal bat resting across her lap, and there's Lance - oh thank _god_ \- crouched beside her, his gun laying on the ground next to him.

And there's Mystery -

Arthur's heart falters at the sight of the kitsune that's currently trotting back towards them. His tails flick behind him, and he stands tall and proud, and Arthur grabs his arm again, heart pounding in his ears.

Mystery peers at him curiously, then seems to remember - and he's back to the tiny dog he was before.

Arthur does not relax.

"Arthur! Are you okay?" Vivi jumps to her feet, rushing towards him, and he stumbles into her arms.

"I'm… very tired." He mutters, his right arm lifting to return the embrace.

He's still processing, in all honesty. Lewis is a ghost, Lewis _probably_ doesn't know that Arthur wasn't the one who actually killed him, even if it was his body that pushed him.

"C'mon, kid. Let's go inside. I'll fix up the van, then you two can tell me what the fuck is going on." Lance crosses his arms, fixing the two of them with a stern look.

"Sounds good." Vivi smiles, and Arthur feels a bit better.

He's still got Vi and Mystery on his side.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Go get yourselves settled, I'll order a pizza or somethin'." Lance pointed to the hallway as the group entered the kitchen, and Arthur made a beeline for the bathroom. Vivi's reaction upon further inspection of him had been worrying, and he was curious to see if he looked that shitty.

"Artie, I want to take a look at your shoulder later." Vivi called after him, and he nodded.

He closed the bathroom door, heading straight for the mirror as he took off his shirt.

… yikes.

It was only now that the pain was finally setting in. Crashing the van, getting thrown into a cave (twice), and then repeatedly slamming his prosthetic against solid stone had definitely done a number on him.

He was bruised practically all over, and the scarred skin of his shoulder was red and raw, and maybe bleeding a little too. He turned to look at his back, and -

He bit back a yelp of pain as he twisted, and the bruising all over was definitely going to be there for a while.

The windshield breaking had showered him in glass, but thankfully he'd only gotten little cuts - one above his eyebrow, one on his arm, and one on his hand. They hadn't bled that much.

He was okay though! He survived!

Arthur noticed how tense his shoulders were, and forced them to relax, frowning a little. He did, honestly, look like shit.

"Arthur, if you don't respond or come out I'm barging in there, I called your name like four times." Vivi's voice called through the door, and he jumped.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He pulled his shirt back on, then opened the door. "What?"

"Let me make sure you're okay, dumbass." She crossed her arms, looking up at him. "I can see the shape your face is in right now, and I can only assume your shoulder is worse, judging by whatever the hell happened to your arm."

"Okay, okay. Let's just. Go sit for a minute, okay?" He ran one hand through his hair, eyebrows furrowed.

Vivi's gaze softened a bit. "... are you okay? You look like you haven't slept in weeks, Arthur."

"I already told you I haven't been sleeping well. I'm alright, I'll try to get some sleep tonight." He waved a hand dismissively.

Vivi put her hands on her hips, jutting her chin out and looking him in the eyes. "Promise?"

Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes. "I promise."

Vivi smiled. "Thank you. C'mon, let's go eat pizza, then I can make sure you aren't gonna die."

He had to actively keep his face neutral until Vivi turned around, and he let himself wince at her wording.

Oh _god,_ Lewis was _dead._

No, nope, he's going to pack that back up for now. Sobbing at the dinner table is poor etiquette.

Though, they weren't sitting. Arthur hopped up to sit on the counter, grabbing a piece of pizza from the box before turning his attention to the others in the room. Vivi leaned against the doorframe, Mystery sitting beside her, and Lance walked in with a toolbox.

"Let me look at your arm, kid." He nodded towards Arthur's prosthetic, and he glanced down - wincing at the state it was in.

Throwing his entire weight into a punch - specifically a punch aimed to chip away stone - had definitely done some damage. Now that he was paying attention to it, the fingers were a bit twitchy, and the entire thing would need to be looked at.

"Vi, can you help me get it off?" He put his pizza down, and Vivi nodded, inhaling the rest of hers before making her way over to his side.

It was easier to take it off with the help. He handed over the prosthetic to Lance, who frowned, examining it.

"What did you do? At this point I should just make a new one."

Arthur winced. "Sorry."

Lance raised an eyebrow. "It's fine. I can fix it. You're gonna be armless for a bit, kid. That okay?"

Well. It was annoying, but he could deal. "Yeah, sure. I think I'm gonna go to bed."

"Wait, take Mystery with you, he keeps bugging me at night, maybe he'll knock it off with you." Vivi nudged the dog towards him, and Arthur hesitated, but clapped his hand against his leg to grab his attention.

"C'mon, Mystery." The dog begrudgingly followed, shooting Vivi a glare. Arthur chuckled.

As he left the room, he heard Vivi quietly gasp.

"He didn't finish his pizza! And I was gonna check him over to make sure he's not gonna die."

He heard Lance chuckle. "I'm sure he's fine. Check on him in the morning. He needs the sleep."

He shut the door to his room, watching Mystery jump up onto the bed and lay down at the end. He rested his chin on his paws, peering up at Arthur curiously over the little glasses on his snout. They were actually pretty cute, Vivi was good at accessorizing - even when she was accessorizing animals. Mystery watched him with dark, glittering eyes, strangely wise. It unnerved him, how… aware the dog seemed.

He remembered Mystery's kitsune form, and chuckled weakly. "I'm still surprised at how smart you are."

Mystery tilted his head, and Arthur crossed the room to put on a tank top and some sweatpants, now that he was in the comfort of his own room. He could feel the dog's eyes burning into his back, and remembered the bruises. Well, not like Mystery could tell anyone. He sat down on the bed, his hand resting on Mystery's head, fingers tangling with his fur as he gently scratched behind his ears.

They sat there in the quiet, Arthur lost in thought as he went over the events of the day in his mind again.

"Lewis is dead." He blurted, staring down at his lap.

Mystery moved to look at him, ears pricking, eyes a little more alert.

It didn't make sense, earlier in the cave, that moment of clarity - how had it slipped away from him? Why couldn't he _remember?_ He had known earlier, just what had happened, but now all he could remember was that cave, a numb feeling in his arm, and Lewis falling. Lewis's face, teeth bared in an angry snarl just hours ago, with Arthur dangling above a pit of spikes.

Why couldn't he remember?

Tears dripped down his face, and he felt Mystery moving, his front paws firmly planted on Arthur's leg, rapidly licking his cheeks and nose to wash away the tears. Arthur laughed quietly, weakly, half-heartedly, his hand moving to rub Mystery's back as a show of gratitude.

Mystery continued to lick his face until the sniffling subsided, and Arthur buried his face in the dog's fur, his arm wrapped around him.

"Thanks, bud." He whispered hoarsely, not moving from his position on the bed until Mystery strained against his grip, and he let the dog go.

Mystery padded across the bed, curling up on Arthur's pillows, giving the young man a pointed look. Arthur chuckled, crawling underneath the covers. He'd promised Vivi he would try to sleep tonight.

Satisfied that he'd gotten the message, Mystery let Arthur lay down on the pillows, stretching out beside him.

For the first time in a while, his sleep was peaceful.

Dreamless.


	2. arthur

Arthur woke up.

Typically, that was not something he did.

But here he was, lying in bed, Mystery sprawled out beside him, his arm haphazardly thrown across the dog. Sunlight streamed through the window, and the clock on the bedside table read 9:44. Not only had he gotten a full night of sleep, but he'd slept later than he usually did if he _did_ manage to fall asleep. And no nightmares! It was surprisingly pleasant.

He ducked his head, burying his face in Mystery's fur. The dog stretched, rolling over to tuck himself against Arthur's side.

He understood why Vivi adored dogs, now.

Though, now that he was awake, it was unlikely that he would be going back to sleep. That was a shame, it was comfortable here, and Mystery didn't seem to want to get up. But if Arthur just laid here, he'd end up getting lost in thought, and that was never fun.

He sat up, much to Mystery's dismay, and the dog abruptly sat up with a disgruntled expression, yawning and blinking at Arthur. The annoyance quickly turned to concern as Arthur winced, stretching and swearing under his breath as he moved.

God, everything was sore.

"I'm gonna go get breakfast. You can go back to sleep." He stood, refraining from swearing again.

Mystery settled down on Arthur's pillows again, and Arthur rolled his eyes with a chuckle as he left the room, heading for the kitchen. He needed coffee.

Vivi was already in the kitchen, scarfing down a bowl of cereal. She sat up abruptly when Arthur walked in, eyes brightening.

"Good morning, sunshine. You look like a mess." She pointed at him with her spoon.

Arthur rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair (which was currently hanging in his face, _god_ he had the worst bedhead). He grabbed a mug and poured some coffee into it from the coffee maker. 

"Tell me about it." He yawned, leaning against the counter.

"Your shoulder looks terrible, Artie. What did you do?" She frowned, and Arthur glanced down with a raised eyebrow.

The scarred skin was red and irritated, though it wasn't bleeding like it was yesterday. "It's not that bad."

Vivi's frown deepened. "Arthur," she warned.

"Seriously, Viv. It's okay. I landed on my arm and busted it up, that's all." It was a poor lie, but he couldn't tell her that the ghost of their best friend tried to kill him.

"Okay, okay." She rested her chin in her hand, her eyes lighting up as Mystery padded into the kitchen.

Arthur's left shoulder dipped as he reached to pet the dog on instinct with a limb that was no longer there, and he winced. He set down his mug, reaching with his actual hand to pet Mystery. Mystery leaned into the touch for a moment, before making his way over to where Vivi sat. The girl scooped him up with a grin, kissing the top of his head.

"How'd you sleep?" Vivi peered at Arthur over Mystery's head.

"Not bad, actually." He picked up his coffee again. "Mystery is like a koala, though. I dunno how you deal with him."

Mystery huffed at him, then sniffed Vivi's cereal. It was amusing to see him act like a normal dog, considering his intelligence. Vivi scolded him when he tried to lick the bowl.

"He's a little monster." Vivi giggled, scratching behind his ears.

Mystery yawned, and Arthur finished off his coffee. "What're your plans for today?"

Vivi shrugged. "I dunno. I'll probably just hang out. Yesterday was, um, intense."

Arthur grimaced, recalling Lewis' face and the pink hue of the cave. Intense was definitely a good word for it. "Tell me about it. I'll probably work on the van."

"You want me to help out?"

"Nah, should be fine. Well. Actually, if you could help me with the windshield, but otherwise it's just a matter of making sure nothing important got destroyed. Thank god we didn't like, ruin the entire thing when it crashed."

Vivi winced. "Yeah. Hey, what do you think's up with that ghost who keeps chasing us?"

Arthur stilled, looking down into his mug. "I… I dunno."

"They're really persistent, like, what's their problem?" Vivi sighed, leaning on the counter.

Arthur fell quiet, biting his lip and trying to make it look like he was thinking. "Maybe… maybe it wants something with us?"

It felt bad to refer to Lewis as an 'it'. It felt wrong.

"Yeah, but what?"

He glanced up, noting how Mystery was watching him closely. "I dunno. I think we pissed it off back at that house."

He kept from cringing when he said it. Lewis was dead.

Arthur missed him.

"Hm. Maybe it's just mad we went into its house." Vivi yawned. "I think I'm gonna go back to bed for a bit. Scream if you're getting attacked by an angry ghost."

Arthur gave a halfhearted chuckle as Vivi hopped down from her seat, placing her bowl in the sink before sauntering down the hallway. Mystery didn't follow.

"... what?" He raised an eyebrow at the dog.

Mystery just gave him a look.

He sighed, placing his mug in the sink before going back to his room. He heard Mystery hop up onto the bed behind him. Apparently the dog was going to follow him around today. That was odd.

Arthur began to dig around his closet, then pulled out an older prototype of his arm. It would have to do, for now.

Time to get to work.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

God, he was tired. A solid five hours of working on the van had restored some of its glory. He'd spend some more time on it tomorrow, but he was impressed with how quickly he'd managed to get the work done with one fully functioning arm, and one slightly twitchy, slightly-too-small one. He had done it, though. Now, he was going to hide away in his room and cry a little before actually thinking about what he was going to do about Lewis. Which was not something he was looking forward to.

And unfortunately, he couldn't do it in peace. Mystery was still following him around, and Arthur couldn't help but wonder if the dog was simply an idiot, or trying to make sure he wasn't going to do anything stupid.

He sat on his bed, dragging his laptop over to him - after kicking the door shut, so he'd have some warning if someone were to barge in. Mystery settled in beside him, watching him with a carefully guarded expression. Arthur scratched behind the dog's ears.

He opened a new document, wracking his mind for what he could remember.

Lewis was dead. Now that he knew it, it was a fact that continued to hit him, over and over - often at inconvenient times, like when he was talking to someone. How had Lewis died?

The cave. Arthur could remember the cave, but what had happened?

He pressed his palms (well, palm, he'd taken off his other arm) into his eyes in an attempt to stave off an oncoming headache and incoming tears. He felt Mystery shift beside him, and then felt the dog lick his hand a few times. He managed a small smile, opening his eyes and looking down at the little dog.

… something was wrong, though.

He frowned, gaze flicking between the near-empty document and the dog-not-dog. It was easy to forget that Mystery wasn't what he seemed.

"... hey, Mystery. Can you - can you do me a favor?" He kept his voice low, just in case Lance or Vivi were walking by.

Mystery cocked his head curiously.

"Show me that - that other form you've got, the big scary one."

Mystery's ears flicked back.

"Please?"

He huffed, and then laying beside Arthur was a large, fox-like critter, peering down at him with seven tails flicking back and forth behind him. It made the bed a little cramped and crowded.

Arthur reached to grip an arm that wasn't there, and Mystery changed back as quickly as he had before.

That had to be related, the knee-jerk reaction Arthur had, and the sight of the kitsune's real form.

But… how?

He knew this. He _knew_ that he knew this. Arthur wanted to shout his frustration, but alarming his family was not on the list of things to do today. He let out a muffled groan into his pillow instead.

Why couldn't he fucking remember?

He felt Mystery lick his face, and hadn't realized he'd started crying.

For fuck's sake. Why was he crying? "I'm okay, bud. I'm okay."

He scratched the back of Mystery's head, looking over at his computer. Lewis had died in the cave. That was all he could remember.

It would have to be enough for now.

… maybe, if he went back to the cave? That might help him remember. 

He didn't want to bring Vivi along, though. She didn't even remember Lewis, and he had a feeling that bringing her along would just bring about more trouble. Arthur didn't want to put Viv ito unnecessary danger, but he also didn't want to do this alone.

He glanced down at Mystery.

… no. Mystery would stay with Vivi. Mystery was Vivi's dog, not Arthur's.

"I'm very tired." He mumbled, scratching behind Mystery's ears.

The dog huffed, seemingly in amusement. Arthur grinned tiredly, closing his laptop and putting it on the floor beside the bed.

He flopped down backwards, yawning, his hand falling back to rest on Mystery's head. It was nice to have company that wouldn't ask you questions, and wouldn't make you feel terrible about things you couldn't quite remember. He yawned again, rolling onto his side.

God, he was tired.

The next thing he was aware of was Mystery whining and licking his face, pawing at his chest, and he let out a sob, his hand reaching out to grasp Mystery's fur. Acutely aware of the darkness around him, he attempted to quiet his sobs, and he felt himself trembling, though he wasn't sure why.

He'd had a nightmare.

He couldn't remember the nightmare.

Usually, he remembered his dreams, so this was weird. Though he was too focused on keeping himself quiet to really acknowledge it.

Mystery licked his face a little more, and Arthur's sobs tapered off into halfhearted chuckles after a moment.

He didn't want to go back to sleep.

Arthur slowly stood up, grabbing a few things before heading out to the van, with Mystery on his heels. He hadn't changed into more suitable work clothes, but he figured he would make a few more repairs to the van while he was up.

… at 1:14 in the morning.

Well, it was fine. Mystery settled down in the front of the van, and Arthur set to work.


	3. arthur

He finished fixing the van early that morning.

More specifically, 4:22 A.M. Arthur blearily blinked at his blinding phone screen, sitting in the driver's seat of the van. Mystery was asleep on the seat next to him. His phone was plugged into the car charger, his laptop shut in between him and Mystery. He yawned, rubbing his eyes and getting out of the van - leaving the door open slightly in case Mystery woke up before he returned.

Arthur stood in the hallway, in the dark, thinking. He remembered the trip to the cave - it had been three days of driving. He could probably do it in two days. He'd be quick. He would let them know that he was going.

He went back into his room, shoving a few changes of clothes into a backpack, along with his wallet and a few other things. There was a toolbox in the van, there was food in the van - maybe he'd grab some extra snacks, just in case. There was the sleeping bag in the back, and all of the ghost hunting equipment, if he needed it. He probably wouldn't. He also made sure to grab the older prototype of his metal arm - a less perfect arm was better than no arm at all.

He slung the bag over his shoulder, leaving his room and creeping into the kitchen. The clock on the stove read 4:29.

Arthur grabbed a notepad and a pen, scribbling down a note to Lance and Vivi - he was going on a quick road trip to test out the van and make sure it was working properly, he would be three or four days, at most. He wrote to call him if there was an emergency, then tore off the paper and left it on the counter, tossing the notepad and the pen into the glove compartment when he got back into the van.

He started the van, and left the parking lot of Kingsmen Mechanics at 4:32 A.M.

He drove for about an hour in relative quiet, the low hum of the radio enough to keep him in the moment. He'd made it onto the highway, and now it was just open desert for two or three days.

He eventually pulled into a gas station to take a break and check his phone - the timing impeccable, as Vivi had texted him barely two seconds prior. Arthur wasn't quite sure if he wanted to respond.

It seemed easier not to.

And, he was quickly distracted by the white and red dog that hopped up onto the seat beside him.

Oh, fuck.

"Oh, hey. Uh. Bud." Arthur scratched the top of Mystery's head. "I thought you'd gone inside this morning."

Mystery somehow managed to convey the act of raising an eyebrow, despite him being a dog.

"... takin' a road trip." Arthur gestured to the window.

Mystery just huffed, laying down on the seat. Arthur chuckled.

"I know you're smart enough to know what's happening. Don't play dumb."

Mystery blinked at him innocently. The company was nice, now that he thought about it.

"I don't want to have to go back, because Viv and Lance will just question me. A lot. So do you think you can hang with me for a few days?" He rested one hand on the wheel, the other still loosely holding onto his phone.

Mystery yawned, settling down on the seat. That seemed to be a yes. Arthur's shoulders sagged in relief, and he scratched behind Mystery's ears.

"Thanks, bud."

He turned his attention back to his phone - then shook his head, setting it down and starting up the van again. He'd respond to Vivi later. For now, he'd put some distance between himself and the shop.

Something… felt off. As he drove, it felt like something was different. Arthur glanced around on occasion, searching for the source of the odd feeling - but nothing leapt out at him, which only served to make him even more nervous about it.

He felt Mystery watching him, his anxiety was always too easy to pick up on.

As the sun rose higher, Arthur heard his phone buzz several times over the course of an hour - and then fall quiet.

He'd check it when he stopped. He didn't want Vivi to worry about him too much - he wasn't exactly sure how well this adventure would go, but… it was just a cave. He was just going to try and put together the pieces of this puzzle. It wouldn't take long.

He continued to tell himself that as he pulled into a nearly-empty parking lot, adjacent to a truck stop. It was relatively early in the evening for dinner, but Arthur hadn't eaten anything at all today, now that he thought about it. He wasn't sure if he wanted to spend money. He wasn't sure if he wanted to eat. He didn't want to talk to anybody, he knew that much.

His phone buzzed, and he remembered Vivi, and he picked it up to check.

[vivi]: arthur kingsmen u cannot just leave like that  
[vivi]: with NO WARNING WHATSOEVER  
[vivi]: and mystery is gone too so its kinda scary  
[vivi]: leaving a note doesn't make it better  
[vivi]: not responding makes it worse  
[vivi]: arthur?  
[vivi]: if you don't respond i'm going out to look for you  
[vivi]: arthur!!! where the hell are you?  
[vivi]: arthur kingsmen i swear to fucking god you're a dead man once we find you

He wasn't sure what he'd expected, honestly. This was pretty par for the course. These were normal Vivian reactions.

[arthur]: i'm not dying calm down  
[vivi]: where the hell are you????  
[arthur]: i'm fine, viv. i'll be back tomorrow night, probably.  
[vivi]: that was not an answer, kingsmen.  
[arthur]: i'm going to that old mansion we went to. with the ghost. i'm making sure the van can make it that far.  
[vivi]: is mystery with you?  
[arthur]: yeah he's here  
[arthur]: for some reason  
[arthur]: he snuck into the van before i left  
[vivi]: i want you back here by tonight. no buts.  
[arthur]: vivi, i can take care of myself.  
[vivi]: you left with no warning! with one arm! and injuries!  
[arthur]: i can fare pretty well with one arm.  
[vivi]: that's not the point.  
[arthur]: well, i don't really care what the point is. i'm going.  
[vivi]: arthur don't you dare put your phone down

He turned his phone off entirely, scowling. He was a grown man, he could take care of himself. Vivi's worries were unfounded, really. He ignored the ache in his chest at the thought of how Lewis would react the same way, and rested his forehead against the wheel of the van with a sigh.

Mystery shoved his face under Arthur's armpit, peering up at him. Arthur chuckled, pulling back from the wheel to scratch behind the dog's ears.

"Vivi's worried. For some reason. It's just a little road trip, I don't see why she's so upset." He managed a smile, and Mystery just huffed, amused.

Arthur moved the van so it was in a far corner of the parking lot as the sun began to set, and settled down in the back with his laptop, Mystery sprawled out beside him. He went back to the document with what he could remember written down.

Lewis was dead. He'd died because of that cave. Arthur's reaction to Mystery's kitsune form was related, somehow.

God, this was frustrating.

Arthur leaned back against the side of the van, Mystery craning his neck so his head was resting in Arthur's lap. He chuckled, giving the dog a few pats. He'd set out again in a little bit, once the sun went down and the roads were a bit quieter. It occurred to him that he should probably eat something.

He leaned his head back, closing his eyes for a few moments.

He felt guilty, now. Lying to Vivi and then shrugging at her concerns like they were nothing. He always did it - yes, he did get some sleep, yes, he did eat - but she was such a mother hen, all the time, he only lied to get her off his back! He'd do those things eventually, so at least he didn't just ignore her concerns entirely.

Well. Whatever, he had to keep moving. Finding out what had happened was important! He could go back to Vi and tell her everything, if this worked! He hadn't considered the opposite - he hadn't actually thought about this not going well at all. Mostly to keep himself calm. He was doing this for a justified reason. It had to work.

He missed Lewis.

(Lewis missed him.)

He refused to cry about it.

He continued to drive through the night.


End file.
